Venice is one of the most magical places on earth — and one of the most relentlessly crowded. If your idea of la dolce vita doesn’t involve fighting flag-waving tour guides to walk down the street, there’s a secret hiding in plain sight just a short boat ride away: Murano.
Home to just over 5,000 residents, this intimate cluster of seven islands stitched together by footbridges is so often bypassed by tourists that it feels like a different world entirely. Most people know it, if at all, for its centuries-old glassblowing tradition. Those who make the island their base for a trip to Venice are rewarded with something rare in this part of Italy: peace, quiet, and a chance to see how the locals actually live.
The best place to stay here is the NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa, a hotel that manages to feel like a sanctuary within a sanctuary. Surrounded by water on two sides and housed inside a converted historic glass factory, the property is both luxurious and and a living museum, keeping the original chimney of the glass furnace and exposed brick from the original factory throughout. Honoring the property’s heritage, delicate handmade glass appears everywhere you look: elaborate sculptures anchoring the courtyard, hand-blown cups on the dining tables, and elegant vases of fresh flowers adorning your ensuite bathroom.
Getting There & Getting Around
The hotel sits on a charming canal lined with colorful houses and glass boutiques, making it easy to browse for something beautiful before you’ve even left the neighborhood. More practically, the property has its own pier, and the hotel can arrange a private boat shuttle directly to St. Mark’s Square or anywhere else in Venice. Transfers to and from the train station or airport can also be arranged for arrivals and departures.
Being on Murano also puts you within an easy boat ride of two more of Venice’s most underrated islands. Burano, famous for its intricate handmade lace and candy-colored facades, is a short ride away. Torcello, even quieter and more removed from the tourist circuit, is home to the Cathedral of the Assumption, a Venetian-Byzantine masterpiece dating to the 11th century. Between these and Murano, you can piece together a version of the Venetian lagoon that most visitors never see, while still having easy access to all the must-visit sites on your Venice bucket list.
Rooms
With just 104 rooms, the hotel feels intimate. Accommodations range from well-appointed standard rooms to suites overlooking the lagoon. All come with air conditioning, NHCollection’s signature Sleep Better mattresses, rain showers, pillow menus, and in-room espresso machines.
I stayed in a Premium Terrace Room. The room itself is spacious and dressed in the calm, neutral palette that runs throughout the property, but it’s the private outdoor terrace, with a full table, chairs, and a sunbed, that makes it feel like a luxury vacation. Step outside in the morning with your espresso and enjoy the stillness.
Dining
Antica Fornace De Majo Restaurant & Terrace may be the most beautiful dining room in Venice, with a sweeping space of exposed brick and soaring arched windows, overlooking the lagoon on one side and the glasswork courtyard on the other.
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it serves a generous morning buffet of fruit, bread, cold cuts, and yogurt alongside made-to-order eggs. But it’s at lunch and dinner that the kitchen truly distinguishes itself. The cuisine is Mediterranean with a considered, creative edge serving a menu that’s seasonal, ingredient-forward, and full of surprises.
A riff on traditional Venetian risotto, reimagined with crispy sushi rice, was among the best things I ate on the entire trip. A matcha tiramisu that was vivid green and airier than the classic was a welcome reinvention of a dish that had started to blur together across every other menu in Venice. The chef is also genuinely accommodating of dietary restrictions and allergies, which makes a huge difference in a guest’s comfort when the nearest hospital is a boat ride away.
When the weather cooperates, Antica’s roof terrace is the perfect setting for a sunset cocktail. For something more intimate, a second bar indoors turns out beautifully crafted drinks in a relaxed setting.
Fitness & Wellness
The spa includes a Turkish bath, aromatherapy shower, sauna, relaxation lounge, and herbal tea room. There’s also a well-equipped fitness center, though on a clear morning, the better workout is a sunrise run along the canals just outside the front door.
Additional amenities include complimentary WiFi, optional late checkout on Sundays, and private pier access with boat shuttle service into Venice (available for a fee).
